The Call
by edwardcullen119
Summary: What happens when Bella answers the phone instead of Jacob? What does Edward do? Based on the phone call in New Moon, chapter 18. I suck at summaries but please read and review!
1. Episodes

"Swan residence

**A/N- **This is the part in New Moon where Edward calls Jacob while pretending to be Carlisle. The difference here is, Bella talks to him. Oh, and I'm not sure why it says "'Swan residence" above, but please just ignore it.

"Swan residence."

There was a short pause as Jacob listened to whatever the person on the other line had to say. Then, abruptly, his eyes narrowed and he scowled.

Jacob ground his teeth together for a short second before he opened his mouth angrily. "He's not--" he began, but I yanked the phone from hand before he had the chance to finish his sentence.

"Hello?"

No one answered.

I tried again. "Hello? Um…is anyone there?"

Nothing.

I glanced up at Jacob. His face showed some of my confusion, but the anger had not yet faded from his features. But as I studied his face, I saw and edge of something else there, too. Disgust, maybe? But…why would Jacob feel that way? What would cause him to have such a flame of hatred in his eyes, to have his face twisted and distorted by what could only be revulsion?

There was only one answer to that, and my body reacted instantly.

My heart stuttered painfully, and a cold sweat broke out over my face. I felt my eyes widen and my mouth pop open into a surprised 'O' of horror. I tried desperately to hear over the ringing in my ears. My hands shook erratically as I struggled to gain control over my uncalled for reaction.

I didn't have much success. Instead, I stood still as a statue, wondering if my assumption was anywhere close to home—and, if it was, what in the world I would do.

What if it was him? The hole in my chest rippled threateningly—I was dangerously close to my heart's strike zone, practically inviting in the pain and despair. However, I pushed the thought away impatiently. If it really _was_ him, I probably didn't have much longer before he would hang up. After all, _he_ had left _me_. What interest could I possibly hold for him?

The thought brought on a new question. Why _had_ he called me? _Called your house_, I corrected internally. _He didn't necessarily want to talk to you_.

But who else was there? Only Charlie. What could he possibly want from my father? It's not as if they had ever had a close relationship. Charlie had barely put up with him. _He_, of all people, should know _that_.

I supposed….he must have _some_ emotion towards me, right? He must at least have some inclination to make sure I was coping. That I was okay.

No, I couldn't even let myself get that far. He must just be checking to make sure I wasn't dead. For Charlie.

Yes, that was it. He was calling to make sure I was alive, for Charlie. He probably hoped that Charlie would have answered, so he could be spared having to hear me.

The pain shuddered, threatening to engulf me. But I shoved it aside once more. I should make having to talk to me as painless as possible for him…even though it would ruin me.

My internal episode lasted only a few seconds, despite the magnitude of all the gut-wrenching notions I had considered. I quickly looked away from Jacob's still-angry face and spoke once more.

"Excuse me? Is anyone there?"

One…two…three…I counted to thirty, and still no change.

But then, I heard a noise—a long, airy sound, as if the person on the other line were steeling themselves for something. Anticipation coursed through my veins, turned my vision hazy. Was this it? Was I about to hear the voice—the soft, velvet voice that was almost as beautiful as the god that it belonged to—that haunted my every thought? Would I finally get some relief from this agonizing weight that was forever imprinted on my heart?

"Bella?"

My anticipation cracked down the middle, my heart shattered, my lungs burst, my one small shot alleviation imploded, leaving me virtually empty. The only small emotions I felt were disappointment, whistling downwards, sinking, bringing my heart along with it—and a fierce, agonizing anger towards myself.

I had allowed myself to hope.

How could I? How could I have even considered the possibility that he had called, had even cared about me or my safety in any way? The last thing he wanted was to create more ties to me. It was inconceivable, him being concerned about me in even the smallest bit. It was stupid. It was pointless. It was idiotic.

And yet, I had hoped.

I internally cursed myself. How could I have let such thoughts posses me? Hadn't he made himself clear? That day in the woods—

I cut the thought short. I wouldn't allow myself to remember. I was in enough pain without thinking of that…

But then, beyond the disappointment and anger I felt towards myself, there was also recognition.

No, this was not the voice I had been so desperately hoping for…but it was the next best thing.

"Carlisle?"

**A/N-** Did you guys like it? I really want reviews, but this is my first fanfic, so please be nice!


	2. Misunderstanding

A/N- Thank you to alittlefaithinme2, katalina nova solaris, treenaballereenuhhh, kim53456, Major Lynette, Rdanielle, CCgirl1410, MoonStarWithWings, emmettsmyfave, Kari-Jane, and bubbles272 for reviewing

**A/N- **Thank you to alittlefaithinme2, katalina nova solaris, treenaballereenuhhh, kim53456, Major Lynette, Rdanielle, CCgirl1410, MoonStarWithWings, emmettsmyfave, Kari-Jane, and bubbles272 for reviewing! I was really scared people wouldn't like it, but everyone left positive reviews…so yay!

Here's the next part:

"Carlisle?" I breathed. "Is…is that you?"

My lips trembled as I struggled to form the words. Carlisle was calling? Why? I went through all the questions I just sorted through, only now, Carlisle was the key component. But still, I could only draw the same conclusions as I had before…that he was calling to check up on me, see how I was doing. However, I thought _he_ had been calling the last time…. Obviously, I needed not agonize over why he had been calling, because he _hadn't_ called. So my reasoning could easily have been wrong. However, Carlisle had always been compassionate. He had never been anything but kind to me. And I had never really known what he thought of leaving…Alice had seemed regretful enough. Couldn't Carlisle feel the same way?

So, to put it plainly, Carlisle was just checking in. Making sure I was okay.

However, as my common sense told me he could be calling for no more than this, my imagination, combined with my heart, was running wild.

Alice had come back, and Carlisle was calling. That had to mean something, didn't it? Would…would they all come back? Emmett...Jasper…Esme…I would even be glad to see Rosalie. Did they miss me as much as I missed them?

I bit down on my lip hard. I couldn't keep doing this! I had just been crushed mere minutes ago, all because I had hoped. I really needed to stop.

Besides, I hadn't factored _him_ into the picture. It wasn't questionable that he wouldn't let, or want, anyone to have anything to do with me. I guessed he would be very angry at Carlisle for calling, and Alice when she…when she left. I winced.

Carlisle's voice brought me back to reality. "Bella? Yes, it's me. I…I was calling to check up on you…is Alice there? She said you were…that you…well, apparently she had a vision about you?"

There was something slightly off about his voice. It was smooth and enticing as ever, but he seemed to be…_struggling_ to get the words out. Like he was attempting to cover some deep emotion.

Behind this suspicion, there was also surprise. I hadn't thought I knew Carlisle's voice that well. I had heard him speak plenty of times before, sure. But Carlisle had always been so calm, so collected. It wasn't like him to have to work to conceal things like this. Plus, I hadn't heard his voice in so long…I was slightly shocked to pick up on his apparent conflictions.

A ghost of a smile appeared on my face. It was comforting to hear his voice. However, a voice at the back of my head scolded me. _Don't start hoping again_, it warned. _You'll regret it later._

I tuned it out. "She's here," I whispered. The dizzying rollercoaster of emotions that had occurred so abruptly seemed to have had and affect on my voice. I cleared my throat slightly and tried to make my voice stronger. "She's here," I repeated. "Yes, she had a vision about me, well, jumping off a cliff, and she thought I was, you know, trying to kill myself, so she came down here to check, but I was really just cliff-diving…you…you know, for…for fun?"

My embarrassment of the situation combined with the dead silence on the other line quieted me. Although I was on the phone, and couldn't see Carlisle's face, I rather thought the silence seemed…angry. Again, I was surprised at myself. How was I so randomly sensing these things?

However, I could easily be wrong. I didn't have much practice reading Carlisle's emotions, and plus, it took a lot to make Carlisle angry. But still, I couldn't shake that feeling.

What little strength I had put into my voice quickly evaporated as the silence lengthened. "Carlisle?" I squeaked timidly. It still felt odd to say his name aloud.

"Yes, yes, I'm here…" he said, sounding distracted. "Listen," he said urgently, "can I speak to Alice?" He sounded impatient and chagrinned. It wasn't his usual demeanor.

"Oh, I…" I wasn't quite sure where Alice was. She had left earlier to give me time with Jacob, and she still hadn't come back…_Jacob_. I had all but forgotten him. I turned quickly to face him. I was curious to see his reaction to the situation—I had a feeling it wasn't going to be pretty—but considering everything that had happened with the phone call, it wasn't an urgent concern.

But when I turned, he wasn't there. Confused, slightly uneasy, I walked into the hallway. He wasn't by the stairwell or the front door. I continued on into the living room. But he was no where to be found. "Jacob?" I called, growing more apprehensive every second. "Jake? Where are you? Jake!"

Either Jacob was too angry with me to answer, or he was too far away to hear me. I figured it was the former, because I was positive he didn't think Alice trustworthy enough to leave me in her care. I, of course, knew better.

With a resigned sigh, I walked back to the kitchen. I knew there wasn't any point looking outside, because I would never find him. Besides, both Alice and Jake wouldn't want me going out there alone, what with a deranged vampire out to avenge her sadistic mate…

I shuddered. By now, it was an absent-minded reaction.

I had lowered the phone from my ear as I had called for Jacob, but now, as I entered the kitchen, I lifted it once more to my ear.

"Actually, Alice stepped out a while ago--"

As if on cue, however, Alice danced lithely back into the room. She seemed peaceful enough, but as with Carlisle, I sensed a deeper emotion buried within.

"Oh," I said, surprised. "She's…she's right here." I silently handed the phone to Alice. "Where's Jacob?" I mouthed.

"Later," she mouthed back.

Alice grabbed the phone quickly. "Hello?"

She listened for a few short seconds. Then, unexpectedly, her eyes narrowed, and she placed her hand on her hip in a surprisingly irritated way. "Uh-_huh_," she said, as If she was reluctant to believe whatever Carlisle was saying. This surprised me. Carlisle had never done anything to upset anyone, especially happy, peppy Alice. "Right…Carlisle. Hmm." She still seemed skeptical.

I puzzled over this. What could they be talking about?

But I wasn't wondering for long.

Alice's mood changed abruptly from doubt to smugness. "Ha!" she declared. "I _knew_ it!"

However, Alice's demeanor changed yet again, switching over to guilt. "I…I know," she admitted reluctantly. "Well, yes…yes, I know I promised…well, you have to understand--"

Alice stopped abruptly as a long, continuous toll of noise erupted from the phone. Alice grimaced and held the phone away from her ear. The obviously furious yelling continued for a good thirty seconds before it quieted.

I was shocked. Carlisle? Yelling? Impossible! And at _Alice_, no less? What could _Alice_ have possibly done to make Carlisle so mad?

Beyond the shock and confusion, I felt a flicker of suspicion. Alice didn't seem outright astonished or perplexed, the way I did. She still just seemed guilty. And…even a little…cautious? But of what?

And then, for the third time in about a minute and a half, her mood changed. Her mouth twisted slightly to one side, her eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head to one side. She placed her hand lightly on her chin, her finger tapping her upper lip.

Something seemed to resolve itself in her eyes, and her posture altered.

Her head lifted a few degrees, and her jaw locked. She placed the hand that wasn't holding the phone firmly at her side. Her back was straight. Her position was formal and decided.

My suspicion increased. Suspense pounded in my veins.

She opened her mouth. My stomach twisted. What could she be hiding?

Whatever remaining conflictions she harbored—and that didn't seem like very many at this point—vanished. She sucked in a breath and said firmly, "Look, Edward I know what I said, and I know what you wanted. But you just don't get it. You see--"

That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

**A/N**- So how was it? I know last sentence is kind of cliché, with the hole blacking out thing, but I dunno, it seemed fitting. Please review!


	3. Conclusions

**A/N-** Thanks, everyone, for reviewing! I tried to get this next part up as quick as possible. Here it is:

When I awoke, it was to more blackness.

This irritated me. _More_ blackness? I think I'd had enough darkness in my life.

Then I was confused. I had fainted, right? So…if I was really awake…shouldn't I be able to see something?

Next, stupidity. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lighting, I realized I was lying in my bed, with the lights turned off. I glanced at my window. I could see the stars twinkling high above in the midnight sky. Okay, so it was nighttime. I was glad to have _some _information.

And, obviously, someone—most likely Alice—had brought me up here when I passed out. A flicker of embarrassment passed through me. Only _I_ would pass out on hearing that—

This thought brought with it new, more powerful emotions. Astonishment. Fear. Anticipation. _More_ confusion.

And then, there was that stupidity again.

Because it had never been Carlisle.

It had been him—Edward.

As his name broke through the protective barrier my mind had put up, a second onslaught of emotions overcame me. My heart faltered and pumped louder, clearer than it had in months. My breath stopped and picked up again in overtime. Stimulations of energy sizzled up my limbs.

All this, because I had thought his name. I had problems.

However, the hole in my chest inevitably began stirring again. It burned wider and wider, threatening to crush me every second.

I sighed. Things were very complicated.

So it had really been Edward on the phone…but what did that mean? It could very well be for my original reason—he was just checking in. But why would he? He had made it undeniably obvious he wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't care what happened to me. Over and over, I went through the same arguments in my head that I had gone over mere…how many hours ago? I checked my clock. 3:27. I wasn't sure what time it had been when the phone rang.

I wondered idly where Alice was. Shouldn't she have seen me wake up? Perhaps she wanted to give me some time alone to collect my thoughts…yes, that would be it. She just didn't want to freak me out even more. No need to panic.

But I was having trouble following my own advice. My heart rate faintly accelerated. I felt twitchy, jumpy. Alice wouldn't have left yet, right? She wouldn't do that to me. She would give me explanations, whatever she was planning to do. She seemed like she felt she owed me that much, at least.

Just then, a light knocking on my door interrupted the silence of my still bedroom. I was surprised at first—it was like she was reading my mind. My chest prickled uncomfortably at the thought, and I internally slapped myself. That voice in my mind that had been reprimanding me so often lately spoke up again. _Stupid of you_, it said, _to be thinking like that_.

I know, I thought back. Then I caught myself. I was talking to my head. I guess I really was losing it. "Besides," I thought, "she's not the one who can read minds…"

The voice tsk'ed me, but said nothing. I had a feeling it thought it was fighting a losing battle…and it was probably right.

My short bout of surprise, however, wasn't long-lived. "She's Alice," I reminded myself. "What did you expect?" I guess I had just been away from her too long.

I chuckled humorlessly. "Don't I know it," I grumbled internally. The voice in my head sighed impatiently.

"Bella?" Alice whispered. "Can I come in?"

I gulped. "Sure?" I could hardly make out my own voice, but I was sure she could hear it better than me.

I heard the door creaked open, and Alice's lovely face appeared in the doorway. The hallway light illuminated her face, but with the contrast between the blackness of my bedroom and her ghostly complexion, I was sure I would have been able to see it anyway.

"Where's Charlie?" The first question I asked was not the one I most cared about, but I needed a minute to work up to it. No need to rush things. The last thing I wanted was to faint again.

"Asleep," she answered.

I glanced out the door, at the blinding light that filled the hallway. "Shouldn't we--" I began, but Alice cut me off.

"He won't wake up," she whispered confidently, but she flicked the switch off anyways before stepping quietly into my room.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before she sat down on my bed with me. Neither of us talked. The silence was teeming with unanswered questions. I was sure she was wondering what my reaction to this whole thing was—_other _than the fainting—and I was about to bite my tongue off trying to hold black the flood of questions threatening to burst out.

After a minute or so, I got tired of watching her scrutinizing my face, so I looked away, towards the window. My hands fidgeted nervously. I wanted answers desperately, but at the same time, I was sure I wouldn't like what I heard.

Eventually, Alice broke the ice. "I'm sure your curious as to what's going on," she whispered casually. My heart stumbled inside my chest.

"Yes," I breathed, sure I couldn't manage anything more.

Alice took a deep breath that she didn't need, steadying her herself. "Well," she began, "Edward called because he heard about my vision." She paused, checking my reaction. I was careful to keep my face blank. She went on.

"He heard from Rosalie, you see, and he was under the impression that you were dead, that you tried to kill yourself. Just like I was," she said. "He was calling to…confirm, I suppose you'd call it, that you really were. It's a good thing you set him straight…" she murmured wistfully. "Who's knows _what_ would have happened if you hadn't…"

This only came as a slight shock; I figured he was calling to check in, I just didn't think it would be to see if I was dead. I felt stupid for not thinking of the obvious.

Although I was glad to know any information, this wasn't my main concern. Alice could sense this; I could tell. But I still wasn't quite ready to hear it, so I kept beating around the bush just a little bit longer.

"Why was he pretending to be Carlisle?" I hadn't considered this question much before, and I realized now the answer could be painful. Wasn't it likely that he had been pretending so he could be spared my unruly human emotions? So he didn't have to be disgusted by the obvious love in my voice when I spoke to him?

Alice's answer, however, wasn't anywhere close to what I thought. "He didn't want to cause you any distress," she said. Her face seemed confused, but understanding, and slightly pitiful. I guess my face was that easy to read.

I decided it was time to get to the point. There weren't any other distractions left now. I sucked in a deep breath. The hole in my chest prickled in sickening anticipation. "So…now," I began unsteadily, "are things just going to go back to…to the way they were before?"

I almost said normal, but I knew that would never do. Things would never be normal again. Even if he came back—which he never would in a million years, I reminded myself—things wouldn't be normal, because they had never been normal, even while he was here.

I was surprised as the pucker between Alice's brows deepened. I had thought that she would look at me with grave, pitying eyes, and say that yes, they were leaving tomorrow, or in a few days, or whenever. Soon. Sometime soon. Her words, however, surprised me even more than her reactions had.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I…I mean," I whispered inaudibly. "When are you leaving?" The hole ripped, tearing down my torso, up my throat, twisting around my spine. It sent fiery chills up and down my body. I clenched my teeth, allowing only one small gasp to escape.

Alice looked at me like I was very slow. "Bella," she said gently. "You've got it all wrong. You've _had_ it all wrong. I'm not leaving. No one's leaving. We're coming back," she whispered, joyful. "All of us. Edward too. He loves you, Bella, he's always loved you, and he wants to take you back."

**A/N-** Please review!


	4. Arrival

My mind was blank

**A/N-** hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while… it's been a week, I think. I've been kind of busy…well, more like lazy. Actually, I've been reading _The Host_ (also by Stephenie Meyer, of course) and it's SO good! I've been doing nothing but reading lately and I finished it in a week. Sorry to keep anyone waiting, if anyone has been…well, anyways, here's the next chapter.

My mind was blank. I didn't comprehend Alice's words. I didn't think they should be used together in that order. Alice? Staying? But…no. That just…didn't make sense. Why would she stay? And Edward…

_Edward_. What in the world did she mean, he still loved me? Edward? Love _me_? Boring, uninteresting, lowly, human me. And Edward was…_Edward_. Words like "angelic" or "exquisite" or "marvelous" didn't even begin to explain his incredibleness.

And Alice thought he wanted me back! It was insane. It was stupid, stupid, stupid to think that _Edward_ loved _me_!

And yet, it was so…_tempting_.

I wanted to believe her. I really, truly did…but I couldn't. That voice was telling me not to. _Don't start!_ It warned frantically. _We're in enough trouble as it is. Don't you make it worse!_

I had to listen to it. And this time, it was easier than before. Last time, I was just hoping he still had some friendly emotion towards me, even in the slightest way. That was almost fathomable. But believing he was still in _love_ with me? It was easy to not let my imagination run wild on this one. This was not something even _my_ crazy brain could begin to picture.

"What?" I asked vacantly. I couldn't think of anything else to say. There was no other way to sum up the impossibility of Alice's words.

Alice exhaled sharply. "_Bella_," she said. "Don't you see? The only reason we left was to protect you. Well," she said, rolling her eyes, "that was _Edward's_ reason. The rest of us thought it was pretty stupid. We didn't want to leave. But he just wouldn't _listen_." She seemed disgruntled, and a little angry, thinking of this memory I didn't dare believe. "I saw that he wouldn't change his mind any time soon, despite how persistent we all were. He was even _more_ determined. He made us all leave. We felt _so_ awful. Esme especially…" she smiled. "She'll be so happy to see you." Her smiled faltered, faded, and she sighed. "Before we left, he was already sinking into — well, I can't truthfully call it a depression…it was so much worse than that. He missed you, he was dyeing from it, and we hadn't even left." She was abruptly angry. "And look what good leaving's done! He's been moping for half a year, he won't even make contact with anyone, and here you are, fainting at the sound of his name." She shook her head in exasperation. "What are we going to _do_ with you two?"

I wasn't sure what to feel. Her words were so sure, so confident…she seemed positive of how Edward felt. Plus, she, of all people, would know if they were really coming back. She saw it as a definite thing, not a maybe. An absolute yes, a straight shot.

That made me want to hope.

However, hoping was still overshadowed by the huge amount of disbelief coursing through me.

"I…I'm…confused," was all I could get out.

Alice just shook her head at me. "Edward's never stopped loving you," she explained again, more quietly than before. "He truly, truly loves you." I continued to stare at her blankly, despite the swell of emotions rising and falling inside me.

"Well," she said, seeing my lack of response, "I suppose he'll be able to explain it better…he'll be here sometime tomorrow." Her eyes drifted away from me, focusing on some point in the future. Her stare was glassy for a moment before she collected herself. "I can't tell exactly _when_…hmm," she said, seeming disgruntled. "I wonder why…oh, well, it should be sometime in the morning," she concluded.

My stomach plummeted. He was coming? So _soon_? I couldn't deny any longer the truth in Alice's words — he was definitely coming. I wasn't sure how long he was _staying_…but he _was_ coming. Coming _tomorrow_. I had little over twenty four hours.

However, I could worry later — there were some things that were still impossible to accept. Like how Alice said he loved me? And that she thought he might stay? That they would _all_ stay? My brain swirled in confusion. I had no idea what to think. My thoughts buzzed distractingly inside my head, but I couldn't find answers.

Alice sensed my distress. "Don't worry," she murmured encouragingly. "Things will work themselves out." She noticed my appearance for the first time and winced. "Ah…I… how about we get you cleaned up? Ooh! I know," she exclaimed, brightening, "I'll give you a _makeover_!"

An old, long-lost sense of chagrin washed through me. Alice with makeup and hair products could be deadly. She used that mascara wand like a weapon of mass destruction…which, in her hands, it was. I shuddered.

Alice scowled. "Wipe that look off your face! It'll be fun!"

I glared at her in disbelief. "_Fun_? Your idea of fun is attacking me with eyeliner and hair curlers. That's not fun, it's assault."

Besides, I thought, what was there to be made up for? _He_ wasn't coming until tomorrow and tonight's sleep would surely mess up any progress she made on my neglected hair. Plus, Alice's attempts to make me "pretty" wouldn't make him want me a million years anyway.

I shied away from that though. There would be plenty of time for worrying later.

She pouted. "Please, Bella? I won't go all-out. I'll just make your hair look nice, maybe a little mascara, some lipstick…I mean," she said, seeing the look on my face and backtracking, "Let me just do your hair! Please??"

I sighed. "Fine, Alice. Whatever." There wasn't anything I could do to stop her in her makeover moods, anyways. Plus, I was a sucker for her guilt trips.

"Yay!" Alice cheered. But after a moment's celebration, she was all business. "Let's get you showered."

After I was clean, she began doing her thing. I wasn't really sure what she was doing — I couldn't read the fancy hair products she used, so I wasn't sure what they were for. She pinned up my hair in complicated sections and twisted it every which way as she blow-dried, and I wasn't sure what result she was aiming for. But this didn't really matter — it wasn't like she needed my help. I thought of the destruction I could do with one of her massive, scorching flat-irons and shuddered.

This left me sitting in an old chair she had brought up from the basement in front of the bathroom mirror for several hours, doing nothing. I didn't like this — it left me too much time to think.

What would he think of me, when he did come? Would he really be happy to see me, as Alice said? Or was that just to comfort me? I didn't think Alice would lie to me that way, but I couldn't be sure. And what if it was all lies? Would he hate me? Would he look at me with that same cold, hard stare he had in the forest? Would he regard with that apathetic silence, as he had done for so long before he left?

Alice could easily read these thoughts on my face. "He'll be delighted to see you," she assured me. "Absolutely ecstatic. There's no need to worry about that."

I didn't like the way she phrased it — like there was some other thing to worry about. I tried to find a double meaning in her words, searching her face for something I missed, but she ducked her head at that moment, searching for some product in her bag. I had a feeling it was on purpose.

She continued her pointless attempt at assurance throughout the whole torturous beauty process, trying to reason with me, to tell me not to worry, that it would be okay. After a while, I stopped listening, knowing whatever words she said would have no effect in calming me.

Eventually, she finished. I had to admire her work: my hair was a smooth, glassy wall, flowing past my shoulders and ending gracefully at my waist. She was a miracle with a blow-dryer, I had to admit.

"Thanks, Alice," I said with as much grace as I could. Despite my hair, sitting through those hours had been tedious work. "Looks great."

"I know," she sighed fondly, and grinned when I rolled my eyes. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Whatever," I said, forlorn. I didn't really care much at this point.

"We should drive up to Olympia and go shopping!" she exclaimed. "You definitely need it," she added, eyeing my sweats. "And it would be a good chance to show off your hair."

"Whatever," I sighed again, shrugging. I guessed I could use a couple things.

She beamed joyfully, like she didn't already know what my answer would be before she even voiced her question.

We reached the city quickly, what with Alice's crazy driving. We went to just about every store in the mall. She forced me into every dressing room with armloads of clothes, insisting on buying almost everything that fit, despite my feeble protests.

All in all, it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, but it was what I needed, in a way — between rapidly changing clothes and struggling to carry our boatload of bags, I didn't have much time to think about anything but not tripping.

When we got home, we towed the heavy bags up to my room. I dropped them the second Alice opened my door and carried my tired body to my bed as fast as my legs allowed. Alice's shopping trips were brutal.

Alice was, of course, bright and chipper as always. She wasn't tired, even after six hours of ruthlessly running from store to store. She pranced to my bed and perched herself next to my immobile form. "So," she mused, "I suppose you're not really up for anything else today?"

The only response I could coax out of my body was to roll my eyes lazily.

Alice sighed lightly. "Okay," she said. "I'll see you in the morning, then." She stood daintily and tiptoed to the door. "Goodnight, Bella," she whispered, and shut the door quietly.

I wasn't sure why I was so tired, but I couldn't even work up the energy to get into my pajamas, let alone brush my teeth or any other bathroom routines. It was true, shopping with Alice was work, and I expected to be exhausted, but I was dead beat. I guessed all the bizarre events that had just taken place were taking their toll on me.

A dull sense of memento washed through my tired brain. That reminded me…Edward. He was coming sometime tomorrow. A fiery combination of elation and panic drifted through me vaguely before sleep pulled me under.

When I woke, I wasn't confused or disoriented, like before. My mind felt clear and open and curiously at ease. I could feel something warm soaking onto my face, my arms…sunlight? How odd. I couldn't remember there being sun for such a long time.

I lay still, listening to the steady pounding of my heart. My upper arms pounded in time with my pulse. Stupid shopping trip.

After I second, I noticed something gently tickling my face. Stroking me from my temple to my chin…up, down, up, down. It was cold and hard, but had the lightest touch. Something stirred in my memory, and my lips trembled ever so slightly.

Something — some_one _— took in a slight breath. The movement on my face stopped.

I drew open my eyelids in shock.

Edwards's glorious face filled my vision. I soaked it up without hesitation, letting his features riddle themselves into my memory. Who knew how long it would be here? I had been awake less than a minute, but I didn't pause before memorizing his face. There wasn't time for indecisions.

The smooth pale skin that spanned flawlessly across his features, his perfectly disheveled bronze hair, the fluent line of his jaw, the graceful curve of his lips, and the unbearable golden perfection that was his eyes.

He was flawless. He was magnificent. He was breathtaking.

But was he mine?

His lips spread into that crooked grin I had been denied for so long. His voice—his impeccable, beautiful, stunning voice—filled my ears, my thoughts, my heart. It filled my very being, bringing with it a wondrous relief that left me breathless.

"Bella."

**A/N-** So? How was it? Please review, and I'll try to write some more this weekend.


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE

A/N- First, let me just say that you only need to read this if you're wondering why I haven't updated in three weeks. If you don't read this, you won't be, like, confused with the story whenever I update. I just felt like maybe I should explain the long absence of chapters. So, if you're easily bored, you don't need to proceed.

Okay, so I know that I'm technically not supposed to post chapters that are really author's notes, but I'm going to ignore the rules and do it anyway, because I need to explain why I haven't updated in over three weeks! It's basically for three reasons: first off, for that first week, I was just really busy with school and soccer practice and stuff like that. The second week, my laptop broke, _after_ I had written two pages of chapter 5. Miraculously, I was able to open Word and re-type one page onto my mom's laptop, but the second page remains on my broken laptop, because I was too lazy to type both. It's been sitting on my floor untouched ever since, so whenever I get around to opening it, I have no clue what will happen, if Word will open, if Internet will work, or if I will even be able to log onto my profile…it all remains a mystery until I try to get it to work, which I won't be able to do for another week or so or more, because I've got a load of make-up homework and tests to, well, _make-up_, plus all my current homework, because I was absent from school for 8 days, because of reason 3: I had appendicitis. Yes, my stupid appendix ruptured and was all infected and disgusting and I had to have surgery to get it removed and stay in the hospital for a week because I was on these stupid antibiotics that had icky side effects (I won't go into details) and kept getting fevers, therefore breaking the "no fever for 24 hours rule" that allows you to be released from the hospital. I was there from the 15th to the 23rd, and it plain sucked. I felt like absolute crap the whole time, so writing fan fiction wasn't exactly the first thing on my mind. Sorry. Anyways, I'll try to copy down the rest of the chapter onto the working computer, and then try to write some more, _soon_, but I'm seriously buried in this homework. I have to stay after school all the time, and I've got a freaking dentist appointment after school tomorrow because of this stupid cavity, and then I have an all-star soccer practice the next day that I can't even _play_ at, because the doctor said no sports for two weeks, so I'm busy and tired and mad! But still, I really will try to update. So, that's about it. Hope to update soon! Bye!


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